Tag Archives: support

So you’ve decided to leave your home state and become a Tar Heel, huh? Whether you’ve crossed an ocean, the whole country, or simply a state border, congratulations! You’ve made it here now, and you’re part of the 18% that aren’t North Carolinian!

While that number may seem smaller than a dook heart (we’re talkin’ very small), it’s more than it seems and more than enough to make you feel at home. If you’re not from the South, one thing you’ll quickly learn about it is its spirit of welcome, manners, and warmth. As you grow a new sense of home here, those features of the South are definitely your friends.

Before the fall, I hadn’t given going out of state any thought, hadn’t even considered the change of Southern culture. After all, I was coming from only two states away! No big deal, right? Well, gonna be honest here, not expecting things to be different resulted in culture shock hitting me like a biology textbook in the face.

Top 10 Events of Week of Welcome!

You just got to campus. There is so much going on: over 100 events from August 16-25, so where do you even begin? Go to as many as you can, but here is a list of the my recommended top 10 must-go-to events during your first week at Carolina:

Fall Fest is on Sunday, August 18 from 9 p.m. – 2 a.m. on South Road.

1) FallFest! The alcohol-free celebration welcomes students to campus from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Sunday August 18th on South Road. The 16th annual FallFest will include free food, performances by student groups and bands, games and more. This year, over 250 student organizations and recreation leagues will have information tables where students can learn to get involved at Carolina.

2) New Student Convocation. Put on your Carolina Blue and attend your official class induction on Sunday August 18th at 6:30 p.m. in the Dean Smith Center. Join Chancellor Carol Folt and distinguished guests in a ceremony marking your beginning as a Tar Heel.

Were you just admitted to UNC?

Do you have questions about Housing or UNC in general? Housing staff will be traveling to area cities for the Admitted Student Receptions:

Wilmington – April 10 at 7 p.m., Hilton Wilmington Riverside

Fayetteville – April 11 at 7 p.m., Hilton Doubletree

Charlotte – April 15 at 7 p.m., Hilton Charlotte University Place

Greenville – April 16 at 7 p.m., Hilton Greenville

Triangle – April 17 at 7 p.m., Sheraton Imperial Hotel in RTP

Triad – April 18 at 7 p.m., Sheraton Greensboro Hotel at Four Seasons

There will be a program at the reception where current students and professors will speak about their experiences at Carolina. After the program, there will be a Q&A session with many campus organizations. You can also meet fellow students who live in your area who are also attending Carolina. Maybe you’ll find your roommate or future best friend.

Enjoy the college journey, but don’t forget your destination

I barely found my way from Hinton James to Greenlaw. Dozens of student groups accosted me as I hurried through the Pit. The line for the top of Lenoir stretched for miles.

And I was blissfully happy.

To my eager first-year eyes, the bustle and chaos seemed exhilarating. I couldn’t wait to make great friends, earn high grades and sign up for every group I could. Carolina was the biggest opportunity of my life, and I was determined to make the most of it.

SYNC helps members manage stress and connect with campus resources

Through a workshop with Interactive Theatre Carolina, members of SYNC learned new ways to help relieve and manage stress.

The “Sophomore Slump” is a period that many students face during their second year of college.

The thrill and excitement from your first year on campus dies down, the pressure to finalize your major mounts, classes start getting tougher and balancing school with work, extracurricular activities, friends and family seems next to impossible.

Where to find the perfect study spot during exam week

My favorite place to study on campus is the Sloane Art Library, located in Hanes Art Center. It’s quiet, and the second floor has large study carrels.

While it’s still hard to believe that it’s already LDOC, it’s time to finally face reality – exam week is here.

At the risk of sounding a little melodramatic, finding the right place to study can be the difference between passing an exam or not. When you’re in a good environment, you’re more likely to stay focused and productive.

And why I’d do it again

As a senior at one of the best universities in the country, I can think of a million different reasons why I chose and stayed at UNC. But at the heart of all those reasons, it is the people – students, faculty and staff – who make UNC great.

Gloria (right) with three of her closest friends whom she met during her first year at UNC.

When I began applying for colleges during my senior year of high school, I started by looking at all of the practical factors that go into choosing a school. I wanted to know which university had the best journalism program. I calculated the expenses of each school, because I wanted to get the best value for the best education.

Location was a major factor as well. Being a Tar Heel born and bred, I wanted to go to a school in my beautiful home state. On paper, UNC fulfilled all of those things.

Beating the first-year fall break blues

Sometimes, your life at Carolina can feel a world away from your life back home.

Congratulations! You made it through your first fall break.

If you spent last week at home, you may have discovered that returning home can be one of the hardest parts of college. Especially at first, going back can be a disorienting experience that leaves you either yearning for campus life or running after your parents’ car as they drive away. Whatever you experienced last week, take heart! There are ways to beat the fall break blues.

Two different worlds

Even if your hometown is an hour down the road, life at Carolina is probably a world away from the life you revisited over break. Temporarily losing your new-found friends and freedoms might have made you wonder how you ever lived at home; visiting your old favorite places and people might have made you wonder how you’ll ever be able to live at Carolina. I’ve certainly wondered all those things in the past two years – but now, as a junior, I’ve found ways to achieve a balance between home and school.

Need a vacuum? How about some advice, too?

You know those people who sit at the front desk in your community office? Well, if you didn’t already know, those bright, smiling faces are Office Assistants (OAs).

Me in the Ehringhaus Community Office

If the only time you’ve ever talked to an OA was to get your room key on move-in day, you are definitely missing out on a great resource. OAs are just a few of the many awesome people available in your community in addition to the RAs, Community Manager and Community Director who are there to help make living at UNC easier and more worthwhile!

Zipcar program allows students to rent cars

With Zipcar, you can venture into the world off campus. Zipcar is a car-sharing program that lets students reserve cars by the hour or day for low rates that include gas and insurance.

Zipcar U's program puts rental cars on college campuses.

There are 8 locations on campus that have Zipcars, so there will be one close by no matter where you live. This is a great and easy alternate to not having a car on campus or having to buy a parking pass. Each location also has a different type of car, so you can drive many models. Just be sure to return your car on time in case another student has reserved the spot right after you and to avoid late fees.